Writing Equations
1. Word Equations
Definition:
Word equations show what happens in a chemical reaction using the names of substances.
Structure:
Reactants → Products
● Reactants = substances you start with (on the left-hand side)
● Products = new substances formed (on the right-hand side)
● The arrow (→) means “reacts to form” or “produces.”
● Conditions or catalysts can be written above the arrow.
Example:
sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid → sodium chloride + water
Worked Examples:
1. Ammonia + nitric acid → ammonium nitrate
2. Iron(II) sulfate + sodium hydroxide → iron(II) hydroxide + sodium sulfate
3. Carbon + oxygen → carbon dioxide
Tip:
If you see “burns in air,” it means reacts with oxygen.
2. Symbol Equations
Symbol equations use chemical formulae instead of names.
Rules:
1. Reactants on the left, products on the right
2. Write non-metal gases as diatomic molecules:
H₂, N₂, O₂, F₂, Cl₂, Br₂, I₂
3. Include state symbols:
○ (s) = solid
○ (l) = liquid
○ (g) = gas
○ (aq) = aqueous (dissolved in water)
Example:
S (s) + O₂ (g) → SO₂ (g)
This means:
One atom of solid sulfur reacts with one molecule of oxygen gas to form one molecule of
sulfur dioxide gas.
Tip:
Metal compounds and ionic compounds are usually solids, while non-metals may be solid,
liquid, or gas.
3. Balancing Symbol Equations
Law of Conservation of Mass:
Atoms cannot be created or destroyed — the number of each type of atom must be the same
on both sides.
Steps to balance:
1. Count atoms on both sides.
2. Change only the numbers in front (coefficients), not the formulas.
3. Balance one element at a time.
4. Groups like NO₃⁻ can be counted as one unit if unchanged.
Examples:
1. Acid–base reaction:
NaOH (aq) + HCl (aq) → NaCl (aq) + H₂O (l)
(Already balanced)
2. Redox reaction:
2Fe₂O₃ (aq) + 3C (s) → 4Fe (s) + 3CO₂ (g)
Worked Example 1
Magnesium oxide reacts with nitric acid:
Unbalanced:
MgO + HNO₃ → Mg(NO₃)₂ + H₂O
Balanced:
MgO (s) + 2HNO₃ (aq) → Mg(NO₃)₂ (aq) + H₂O (l)
Worked Example 2
Aluminium + Copper(II) oxide → Aluminium oxide + Copper
Unbalanced:
Al + CuO → Al₂O₃ + Cu
Balanced:
2Al (s) + 3CuO (s) → Al₂O₃ (s) + 3Cu (s)
4. Deducing Symbol Equations (Extended only)
You may need to work out the formulae yourself.
Example:
Aluminium burns in chlorine → aluminium chloride
Step 1. Write formulae:
● Aluminium: Al (s)
● Chlorine (diatomic): Cl₂ (g)
● Aluminium chloride: AlCl₃ (s)
Step 2. Balance:
2Al (s) + 3Cl₂ (g) → 2AlCl₃ (s)
5. Ionic Equations
Used for reactions in solution — only show ions that change.
Steps:
1. Write full balanced equation.
2. Split aqueous compounds into ions.
3. Cancel spectator ions (ions unchanged on both sides).
Example:
Chlorine displaces iodine from potassium iodide:
2KI (aq) + Cl₂ (aq) → 2KCl (aq) + I₂ (aq)
Split into ions:
2K⁺ + 2I⁻ + Cl₂ → 2K⁺ + 2Cl⁻ + I₂
Cancel K⁺ (appears both sides):
2I⁻ (aq) + Cl₂ (aq) → 2Cl⁻ (aq) + I₂ (aq)
Tip:
Always include state symbols in ionic equations!
Ar & Mr
1. Relative Atomic Mass (Ar)
What it means:
● Relative atomic mass (Ar) compares the mass of an atom to 1/12th the mass of a
carbon-12 atom.
● It tells us how heavy one atom is compared to carbon-12.
🔹 Key points:
● Symbol: Ar
● Found on the Periodic Table (the larger number on each element symbol).
● It is not a whole number because it’s the average mass of all isotopes of that
element.
● Ar has no units — it’s a ratio, not a measured mass.
Examples:
Element Ar Meaning
Hydrogen 1 1/12 of carbon-12 mass
Carbon 12 Standard atom
Magnesium 24 Twice as heavy as carbon
So, magnesium atoms are twice as heavy as carbon atoms.
2. Relative Molecular / Formula Mass (Mr)
What it means:
● Mr = the total of all relative atomic masses (Ar) of atoms in a molecule or formula
unit.
● Use Mr for:
○ Molecules (like H₂O, CO₂)
○ Ionic compounds (like NaCl, CaCO₃)
🔸 For ionic compounds, we often say “relative formula mass” instead of
molecular mass.
How to calculate Mr:
Add up all the Ar values of the atoms in the formula.
Substance Formula Calculation Mr
Hydrogen H₂ 2×1 2
Water H₂O (2 × 1) + 16 18
Potassium carbonate K₂CO₃ (2 × 39) + 12 + (3 × 16) 138
Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)₂ 40 + (2 × 16) + (2 × 1) 74
Ammonium sulfate (NH₄)₂SO₄ (2 × 14) + (8 × 1) + 32 + (4 × 16) 132
Worked Examples:
1. Sodium chloride (NaCl)
= 23 + 35.5 = 58.5
2. Copper(II) oxide (CuO)
= 63.5 + 16 = 79.5
3. Magnesium nitrate [Mg(NO₃)₂]
= 24 + (2 × 14) + (6 × 16) = 148
3. Reacting Masses and Conservation of Mass
Law of Conservation of Mass:
Mass cannot be created or destroyed.
The total mass of reactants = total mass of products.
So, if you know the relative masses, you can calculate how much of each substance reacts
or is produced.
🔹 Example 1:
Reaction:
2Ca + O₂ → 2CaO
Ar: Ca = 40, O = 16
Substance Calculation Total mass
Reactants 2 × 40 (Ca) = 80 80 + 32 = 112
O₂ = 32
Products 2 × (40 + 16) = 2 × 56 112
Balanced — the total mass is conserved.
So:
● 80 g Ca reacts with 32 g O₂ → 112 g CaO
● 40 kg Ca reacts with 16 kg O₂ → 56 kg CaO
The ratio stays the same.
🔹 Example 2 (Worked Example):
Reaction:
CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 2H₂O
Ar values: H = 1, C = 12, O = 16
Substance Mr Moles ratio
CH₄ 16 1
CO₂ 44 1
H₂O 18 2
From the equation:
● 16 g CH₄ → 44 g CO₂
If 32 g CH₄ reacts, it’s double → produces 2 × 44 = 88 g CO₂
So, 32 g methane → 88 g carbon dioxide
Examiner Tips
● Always use Ar values from the Periodic Table in your exam paper.
● Remember:
○ Ar → for single atoms.
○ Mr → for compounds/molecules.
● Don’t use units (Ar and Mr are relative).
● Always check equations are balanced before doing mass calculations.
● If you double the reactant, you double the product mass.